Certificate of Non-Existence (USCIS Form G-1566): How to Get It and Apostille It

October 8, 2026 · DC Mobile Notary™ — Washington, DC

Quick answer

A Certificate of Non-Existence (CNE) is an official USCIS document confirming that USCIS searched its records and found no record for a specific person — most often, no record that someone ever naturalized as a U.S. citizen. You request it by filing USCIS Form G-1566, Request for Certificate of Non-Existence.

To be usable abroad, the certificate must carry the original signature of the Associate Center Director (often signed as Acting Associate Center Director) together with the USCIS raised seal. It then goes to the U.S. Department of State for an apostille. By mail, the Department of State step takes 4–5 weeks. Submitted in person in Washington, DC, it takes 9 business days. DC Mobile Notary™ fills out all the necessary forms, submits them for you, and delivers the apostilled certificate to your door anywhere in the U.S. or internationally.

‍

What is a Certificate of Non-Existence?

A Certificate of Non-Existence is the U.S. government's formal way of proving a negative. Instead of producing a record, USCIS certifies that it conducted a search and that no record exists for the person named on the request.

If USCIS does find a record, it will not issue the certificate. You will receive a notice that records were found instead.

The most common reasons people need a CNE:

• Citizenship by descent. Several European countries (Italy, Slovakia and Lithuania among them) ask applicants to prove that an ancestor never naturalized as a U.S. citizen, or did not naturalize before a certain date. A CNE is how you document that.
• Foreign court and civil-registry proceedings where an authority abroad needs official proof that a U.S. immigration or naturalization record does not exist.
• U.S. litigation, where a certification of non-existence of a record is used as evidence.

‍

How to request a CNE with Form G-1566

The request is made on USCIS Form G-1566. You can file it on paper or online.

Who can request one. You can request a CNE for a person who has died, for a person born 100 or more years ago, for yourself, or for a living person who consents to USCIS releasing the response to you.

What you need to provide:

• The person's full name and every known alias or spelling variation, date of birth and country of birth. Leaving out an alias can send the search to the wrong person or miss the right one.
• Proof of death (an obituary, death certificate or similar) if the person has died and was born less than 100 years ago.
• The living person's consent, if they are alive and you are not that person.
• A full English translation, with a signed translator's certification, of any foreign-language document you attach.
• A handwritten signature on the form. USCIS rejects stamped or typed signatures.

Filing fee. The USCIS fee for a certification of non-existence of a naturalization record is $330. USCIS forms filed online are $50 less, so $280 online. Check the current fee schedule (Form G-1055) before you file.

Where to file. USCIS publishes the current filing address and online filing link on the Form G-1566 page. Use the address listed there on the day you file — filing locations change.

How long USCIS takes. USCIS does not publish a fixed processing time for G-1566. Plan for the USCIS step to take a few months, and start early if you have a consulate appointment or filing deadline.

‍

What a valid certificate must show: raised seal and original signature

This is the step where people lose weeks. Before a CNE can be apostilled, check that it has both of these:

• The original signature of the Associate Center Director — frequently signed as Acting Associate Center Director. It must be an original ink signature, not a copy.
• The USCIS raised (embossed) seal. Run your finger over the seal — you should feel it. A flat, printed or photocopied seal will not work.

The U.S. Department of State only apostilles federal documents that carry an original signature of a federal official and the agency's seal. If either is missing, the certificate will be returned without an apostille, and you will have to go back to USCIS.

Two more rules that protect your certificate:

• Do not notarize it. The Department of State warns that notarizing an original federal document makes it invalid for an apostille.
• Do not send a copy. Only the original certificate USCIS issued can be apostilled.

‍

Apostille at the U.S. Department of State

A CNE is a federal document, so only the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications in Washington, DC can apostille it. A state Secretary of State cannot. (We use the same federal route for other USCIS documents — see our USCIS apostille services.)

The submission includes the original certificate, Form DS-4194 (which asks for the country where the document will be used) and the Department of State fee of $20 per document.

If the country receiving your certificate is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, you receive an apostille and you are done. If it is not, the Department of State issues an authentication certificate instead, and the document then goes to that country's embassy for legalization.

‍

How long the apostille takes: mail vs. in person vs. DC Mobile Notary

These times cover the Department of State apostille step. They start once you have the original certificate from USCIS in hand.

‍

How DC Mobile Notary handles your CNE

You do not need to travel to Washington, DC, and you do not need to fill out government forms yourself.

1. We check the certificate first. Before anything is submitted, we confirm the Associate Center Director's original signature and the USCIS raised seal are there. If something is wrong, you find out now — not five weeks later.
2. We fill out all the necessary forms, including the Department of State request form, with the right destination country.
3. We submit in person at the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications in Washington, DC. Turnaround is 9 business days.
4. We deliver to your door — anywhere in the United States or internationally.

We have been handling federal apostilles in Washington, DC since 2016, with more than 100,000 documents processed for use in 90+ countries.

Mail physical documents to: 5315 Langston Blvd, Suite B, Arlington, VA 22207
DC office: 2001 L St NW, Suite 545, Washington, DC
Phone: 202-247-0837 | Email: support@dcmobilenotary.com

→ Start your federal apostille

‍

Frequently asked questions

What is a USCIS Certificate of Non-Existence?
It is an official USCIS document certifying that USCIS searched its records and found no record for the person named — most commonly, no record of naturalization as a U.S. citizen.

Which form do I use to request a Certificate of Non-Existence?
USCIS Form G-1566, Request for Certificate of Non-Existence. It can be filed on paper or online.

How much does Form G-1566 cost?
The USCIS fee is $330 for a paper filing and $280 when filed online. Check the current USCIS fee schedule before filing.

What must be on the certificate before it can be apostilled?
The original signature of the Associate Center Director (often signed as Acting Associate Center Director) and the USCIS raised seal. Without both, the U.S. Department of State will not apostille it.

Who apostilles a Certificate of Non-Existence?
The U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications in Washington, DC. It is a federal document, so a state Secretary of State cannot apostille it.

How long does the apostille take?
By mail, 4–5 weeks. Submitted in person in Washington, DC, 9 business days. Through DC Mobile Notary™, 9 business days, with all forms filled out for you and delivery to your door nationwide or internationally.

Should I notarize my Certificate of Non-Existence?
No. Notarizing an original federal document makes it invalid for an apostille.

What happens if USCIS finds a record?
USCIS will not issue a Certificate of Non-Existence. You will receive a notice that records were found instead.

‍

Official sources

• USCIS — G-1566, Request for Certificate of Non-Existence: https://www.uscis.gov/g-1566
• USCIS fees — 8 CFR 106.2 (certification of non-existence of a naturalization record): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-106/section-106.2
• U.S. Department of State — Preparing a document for an apostille certificate: https://travel.state.gov/en/replace-certify/authenticate-documents/apostille-certificate.html
• U.S. Department of State — Requesting authentication services: https://travel.state.gov/en/replace-certify/authenticate-documents/request-services.html

This article is general information about document authentication procedures, not legal advice. Requirements vary by receiving country and authority. Confirm what your receiving authority requires before you submit.